Brittany & Richard - Elizabeth Manor Country Club Wedding

What a lovely wedding day! Brittany & Richard chose July 15, the 5th anniversary of their first date for their wedding day at the Elizabeth Manor Country Club in Portsmouth.

Brittany’s dream was to have the ceremony outdoors with their sweet cocker spaniel Daisy. It rained for over an hour that afternoon, but everyone was on standby and as soon as the rain cleared, they jumped in to make sure everything was perfect for their ceremony.

Brittany & Richard, you two are so loved! Your day was so full of joy and laughter. All your hard work planning each and every detail made your day so personal and special. Having Daisy be part of your wedding was the sweetest. We were so honored to be part of your beautiful wedding day.

We have so many beautiful photos from this wedding! Here are my favorites. I loved the sea glass and sage color palette! And keep an eye out for the cutest bridesmaid jumpsuit!

How cute is Brittany’s Daisy perfume and her sweet little dog of honor, Daisy? I loved the touch of her engraved collar!

I am so glad we had a cloudy evening. The light was just beautiful for their portraits on the golf course!

This sea glass memorial tray was such a sweet touch to the reception space.

The Creative Team:
Venue: Elizabeth Manor Golf & Country Club
Venue Coordination: Bobbi Schoonover

Bride’s Gown: Madison James from Here & Now Bridal | Bride’s Shoes: Kate Whitcomb | Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Morilee from All the Rage | Beauty: Kristen Bacon with Unveiled On Site Beauty | Cake: Nothing Bundt Cakes | Catering: Elizabeth Manor Golf & Country Club | DJ: DJ Flick | Florals: Portsmouth Floral Co | Groom’s Attire: Michael Kors | Stationery: Fresh & Yummy Paperie

Shelley & Ethan - School House Wedding in Greenville, SC

My little brother is married! What a beautiful wedding day! The ceremony was so touching, and Shelley chose such beautiful pieces of music to include.

This was a destination wedding for both sides of the family, and it was sweet to see just how loved Ethan and Shelley are by all their friends in South Carolina. From their musicians and their pastor to their wedding party, they are surrounded by the most loyal and caring people who would move heaven and earth to give them their dream wedding day.

This is the first wedding I’ve shot while also being an honorary bridesmaid, and it was a whole weekend whirlwind of fun! Bachelorette party on Friday night, welcome dinner and bridesmaid sleepover on Saturday, and the wedding on Sunday. And to make everything even sweeter, our boys were the ring bearers.

Shelley & Ethan, we are so excited for you and were so honored that you trusted us to photograph your beautiful wedding day! We love you both so much! Ethan, we are so proud of the man you’ve become. I’ve loved seeing your softer side with the boys and Shelley brings out a whole new side of you, and it’s wonderful! You could not have picked a more perfect person to join our family. Shelley, I am so happy to have you as my sister and the boys are so excited to keep you forever. We will try not to smother you with our love and affection.

And now… all their beautiful photos. Some favorite things to keep an eye out for as you scroll through:
-The first look with the bridesmaids was so sweet!
-The groom's floral pocket square boutonniere. I loved this! We played peekaboo with it a bit throughout the day, because it was right in Shelley's face a few times, but it couldn't have been easier to take out and put back in for photos.
-The ringbearers saying 'hi Mom' to me from outside the ceremony space. My littest guy also tripped halfway down the aisle, but I'll save that photo to share on his own wedding day!
-All the fathers and daughters joining in for a special Father's Day Father/Daughter Dance.
-My parents giving us a hard time during the anniversary dance for not leaving the floor when the DJ called 10 years, because they didn't realize we'd hit 10 already! (Drew and our 2 cameras joined us for this special dance too.)
-The bride's grandparents have been married over 60 years and they won the anniversary dance by a landslide! Their reaction to winning was just the cutest!

I just have to say, these are some of my favorite detail shots I have EVER shot! The eucalyptus is just too perfect! One little cup of extra floral bits can make such a huge difference!

First look with the girls, with Dad, and then with Ethan. Such sweet wedding day moments!

Proof of sister! I am so surprised at how well my dress blends in with the bridesmaids dresses! Crop in a smidge and you can’t even see my Keds!

Playing double duty on this wedding day was a lot of work, but it was so worth it! I would be nervously staring at the photographers all day making sure they’re getting all the good stuff! Haha!

A big thank you to Nichole from Nichole Lauren Photography in Greenville for second shooting with us, so we could be in some of the photos too! And also, thanks to my mother-in-law for taking care of the boys during the ceremony and reception and keeping them entertained watching Paw Patrol under the table!

I just love the way these two make each other laugh! They are so full of joy when they are together!

And now prepare yourself for ring bearer cuteness overload!

I don’t normally share family portraits on the blog, but I do when it’s my family!

Their first dance song was a favorite of mine: The Way You Look Tonight.

Sunset photos at the School House Venue are an absolute must! The light was so harsh earlier in the day. I wish we could have done all our photos with this light!

The Creative Team:
Venue: The Schoolhouse
Venue Coordination: Sarah Gray

Bridal Gown: Serenity Bridal from Madison Carolina Bridal | Bridesmaids: Birdy Grey | Cake: Deliteful Bitefuls | Catering: Southern Way | Florals: Austin Phillips | Groom’s Attire: JC Penney | Hair: Gabi Rogol at Calla Salon | Makeup: Sarah Estelle | Music: Brian Leopard | Officiants: Will Galkin and Ben Lamphere | Rentals: The Borrowed Branch

Ashley & Brendon - Destination Wedding in Sea Isle City, New Jersey

Ashley and Brendon were drawn to each other like magnets. The moment they met, their worlds collided and never separated again. Each found in the other a stabilizing force, a light in difficult times, a best friend, and a life-long love.

 There could not have been more joy on this wedding day. Ashley & Brendon know how to throw a party and their destination wedding in Sea Isle City, New Jersey was no exception. It was colorful boho perfection from start to finish.

Ashley’s family beach house in Sea Isle City was the perfect location for a backyard wedding. We’ve never stayed within walking distance of the entire wedding day! It was fantastic! And since it was a destination wedding for almost everyone, the entire bridal party and a lot of the family could stay right on site! How convenient!

I was so thankful that we ended up with good cloud cover for the ceremony! Beach ceremonies in the bright afternoon sun equals lots of squinting, extra watery eyes, and sunglasses hiding your guests’ eyes!

Ashley & Brendon asked their friend to officiate the ceremony and he did such a beautiful job! His speech combined with their personal vows had us all in tears!

Ashley did an amazing job planning all the little details for her backyard reception. The twinkle lights were so beautiful and made a lovely backdrop for many of their reception photos! Food trucks in the driveway served dinner to the guests and the best man had everyone in stitches during his toast! And of course, we had to end the day with a Wilkins family photo with their sweet little furbabies who came along for the destination wedding!

The Creative Team:
Coordinating Gurus: Meredith Zadd and Olivia Harding
Venue: Sea Isle City Beach

Bridal Gown: Ava Clara Bridal
Beauty: Alas Looks
Catering: Shake Shack, Marie’s Seafood, & Isgros Bakery
Florals: Blooms Florist
Groom’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse
Stationery: Minted

Saying Goodbye to CGP

Caitlin Gerres Photography has been a wild and crazy adventure that I never expected. Just a few months after we got married, I started learning about photography and researching what it would take to run my own business. Four years later, Ryan agreed to become my 2nd and I started training him. And although we loved working together on wedding days and we knew many couples who turned their photography business into something they both did full time, we never felt like that was the right choice for us. Ryan loves the business world and trading his job in business intelligence for bookkeeping, marketing, and web maintenance wouldn't have made him happy. So we kept my business small. And we knew at some point, we would reach the end of this season.

When we got pregnant with Darcy, I stopped making a 5-year business plan. I had no idea what having a newborn would be like. I didn't know if Darcy would be an easy baby or a difficult baby. I didn't know how I would handle work and mom life together. So we started taking things one year at a time in our business.

God told us at the beginning of this year that our time with CGP was over. I was surprised. And to be honest, I was not happy about it at the beginning. We had JUST gotten back from Disney. I wasn't pregnant. There was no reason NOT to have another great wedding season. Maybe wedding photography with two kids and all the extra stuff Ryan has going on and our increased service at church would be too much, but we had time to make that decision. We didn't book that far in advance. 2019 could be a great final season for us before we added another child to our family.

But God was still saying no. I wanted one more wedding season. I wanted to celebrate our 'last wedding'. I wanted to go out with a bang.

God gently said, “You're already done. You've had your last wedding. And you loved and served that sweet couple without any of the attention being on yourself. And now I'm calling you to other things.”

A few weeks after making our official decision and sharing the news with our close friends and family, we found out we were pregnant. And then I got horrible nausea that lasted for 3 weeks. (And minor nausea that's still lingering and annoying me every day.) It has been such a GIFT to have a very short weekly to do list right now. Instead of working during Darcy’s naps, I’ve been resting and watching The Great British Baking Show, because feeding him lunch and getting him in his crib wipes me out.

So here’s our official announcement. We are stepping away from our photography business. We've loved it. We're going to miss it. We love all of our couples and the amazing vendors we’ve been able to work with. And now it’s time to set CGP aside so I can focus my time on caring for our growing family.

Our Favorite Virginia Beach Wedding Venues

There are some pretty amazing wedding venues in Norfolk, but Virginia Beach might just take the cake for most wedding venues in Hampton Roads, because there are SO MANY hotels in Town Center and the Oceanfront. For today, I’m just going to focus on venues spaces, although I will let one hotel sneak in, because Founder’s Inn is such a great spot!

The Water Table - Virginia Beach

The Water Table is right on the marina of Rudee Inlet, making it the perfect spot for a nautical wedding! The venue has a beautiful fireplace and space for 200 people with an option for an outdoor cocktail hour space. This is the perfect venue for nautical weddings, modern weddings, and small indoor weddings. View our Water Table wedding day.

The Attic at Watermans - Virginia Beach

If you're looking for a place to get married at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, this is it! With a ceremony out on the beach and a reception in Waterman's private upstairs space with a wall of windows facing the ocean, the Attic is sure to wow your guests! And the food is top notch! This is the perfect wedding venue in Virginia Beach for small beach weddings. View our most recent Attic at Watermans Wedding.

The Founder's Inn - Virginia Beach

The Founder's Inn is a very popular wedding venue in Hampton Roads. And their outdoor ceremony space is truly special, facing the water and surrounded by the beautiful Colonial English gardens. Ceremonies can also be held indoors at the atrium (which is also a great spot for cocktail hour) or at Regent University's Divinity Chapel. Whether you're looking for a ballroom wedding or a garden wedding, the traditional look of Founder's Inn is a beautiful choice. And it's a beautiful hotel for your guests to enjoy as well! View our most recent Founder's Inn wedding.

The Lesner Inn - Virginia Beach

The Lesner Inn is the perfect spot for small nautical weddings in Hampton Roads. The venue sits right on the coastal waterway of Virginia Beach, giving guests a beautiful view. Their downstairs deck gives the idea of being outdoors while being completely protected from the elements. And upstairs, they have a lovely ballroom and covered deck that gives couples a variety of ceremony and reception options. View an upstairs wedding reception and a downstairs wedding reception.

First Landing State Park - Virginia Beach

First Landing State Park is a popular Virginia Beach location for beach ceremonies and outdoor wedding receptions. After a casual ceremony on the sand or in the ampitheater, guests can gather around the stone gazebo on the courtyard lawn for a reception. View our most recent First Landing State Park wedding.

The Signature West Neck - Virginia Beach

The Signature West Neck is one of my favorite Hampton Roads wedding venues! This golf club has an outdoor ceremony location perfectly positioned for the setting sun. It's gorgeous! They can hold smaller receptions in their inside dining space, while larger receptions take place on their tented deck. View one of our Signature West Neck weddings.

And I can’t share my favorite Virginia Beach venues without including my favorite Chesapeake wedding venue:

Noah's Event Venue - Chesapeake

Noah's Event Venue in Chesapeake is such a great wedding space, because it's a clean slate! The venue has two beautiful rooms connected by a lobby, the perfect space for cocktail hour. One room opens onto the courtyard for ceremonies, so it's the perfect venue for your entire wedding day! There's a field across the street for portraits and the venue has a wide variety of lighting and draping packages to make the space even more beautiful. View our wedding at Noah's Event Venue. 

Are you newly engaged and looking for a wedding photographer in Hampton Roads? Whether you're planning a golf club wedding day at the Signature West Neck or a nautical affair at the Water Table, I'd love to hear from you! Shoot me an email to say hello and see if I'm available for your wedding day!

Our Favorite Norfolk Wedding Venues

Virginia has so many amazing wedding venues that it’s a little difficult to list them all out. Today we’re kicking off a three part series of our favorite wedding venues in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and the peninsula. And we’ll throw in the best of Suffolk, Portsmouth, and Chesapeake along the way.

Here are our favorite wedding venues in Norfolk:

The Chrysler Museum of Art - Norfolk

The architecture of the Chrysler Museum of Art is stunning and it’s a venue that is sure to wow your guests. They have outdoor and indoor options for cocktail hour, and the stone staircase in Huber Court makes for a truly grand entrance! We absolutely love this venue! View more here: Chrysler Museum of Art Wedding.

The Botanical Garden - Norfolk

With acres of beautiful landscaping and flowers, the Norfolk Botanical Gardens is a gorgeous venue for an outdoor wedding! Each area of the gardens offers something different, and it's all beautiful! (See the different areas of the garden here.) After a garden ceremony, the reception can be held inside one of their three spaces or tented on the lawn. We love this venue so much, because so many of our CGP couples choose romantic outdoor weddings! We’ve done a ton of weddings here, but we’ll never get tired of this venue! View a Wildflower Meadow & Baker Hall Wedding, a Renaissance Court & Rose Garden Hall Wedding, and an outdoor Terrace Reception.

The Virginia Zoo - Norfolk

The Norfolk Zoo is such a fun and unique place for a wedding! Larger events can be held under the event pavilion, while small weddings can take place in several areas around the zoo, including their rose garden. And the best part... your guests get to tour the zoo during cocktail hour! The Zoo is the perfect wedding venue for outdoor weddings with a tented or pavilion reception. View more here: Norfolk Zoo wedding.

Half Moone - Norfolk

Half Moone is another of my favorite wedding venues in Hampton Roads! It's so beautiful! The beautiful circular ballroom features a large glass wall giving guests a beautiful ceremony backdrop and a front-row seat to the sunset. And this venue couldn't be at a more convenient location, right in the heart of downtown Norfolk. With Nauticus and Town Point Park next door and the Pagoda and gardens just a few blocks away, there are plenty of gorgeous backdrops for portraits. View our Half Moone Cruise & Celebration Center wedding.

And I can’t share my favorite venues without including my favorite Portsmouth wedding venue or my favorite Suffolk wedding venue, so here are two more:

The Historic Obici House - Suffolk

The Obici House is such a cute wedding venue in Suffolk. It's located on a golf course, with a beautiful ceremony spot overlooking the water and plenty of space for a large reception tent. The inside of the house is simple and beautiful, offering a lovely backdrop for smaller weddings. View more here: Romantic Jewel Toned Wedding Inspiration at the Obici House.

The Woman's Club - Portsmouth

I think the Portsmouth Women's Club might just be the prettiest wedding venue in all of Hampton Roads! The ballroom has a high vaulted ceiling, and there's a beautiful staircase and a balcony to photograph from! The venue also has a long covered porch in the front and a big deck out back. I love that there are options for both indoor and outdoor ceremonies and it's the perfect venue for a large wedding! View our Portsmouth Woman's Club wedding and a styled shoot at the Woman's Club of Portsmouth.

Are you newly engaged and looking for a wedding photographer for your Norfolk wedding? Whether you're planning a wedding at the Chrysler Museum or the Woman’s Club of Portsmouth, we'd love to hear from you! Shoot me an email to say hello and see if we’re available for your wedding day!